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Oct 8- Eli Lilly and Co said its experimental Alzheimer's drug led to a 34 percent reduction in memory decline for patients with mild symptoms over a period of 18 months, giving it potential ammunition to seek approval for the medicine that showed no benefit in more advanced stages of the disease.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct 8- Some 13,000 people in 23 U.S. states may have received steroid injections linked to a rare fungal meningitis outbreak that has killed eight people, but far fewer are likely to contract the disease, the Centers for Disease Control said on Monday.

Oct 8- Eli Lilly and Co said its experimental Alzheimer's drug led to a 34 percent reduction in memory decline for patients with mild symptoms over a period of 18 months, giving it potential ammunition to seek approval for the medicine that showed no benefit in more advanced stages of the disease.

Oct 8- An outage that cut phone and data service to Sprint customers in parts of California, Oregon and Washington also grounded some Alaska Airlines passengers on Monday as it knocked the air carrier's reservations system off line.

Raytheon Co. said Monday that it has won a $349 million five-year contract to provide anti-tank missiles for the U.S. government. Under the contract, Raytheon will deliver 6,676 of the new wireless missiles for the U.S. Army. The defense contractor is based in Waltham, Mass. Its shares fell 14 cents to $55.34 by late afternoon.

By Ransdell Pierson and Bill Berkrot. Oct 8- Eli Lilly and Co said its experimental Alzheimer's drug led to a 34 percent reduction in memory decline for patients with mild symptoms over a period of 18 months, giving it potential ammunition to seek approval of the medicine that failed to benefit more advanced stages of the disease.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct 8- U.S. health authorities scrambled on Monday to identify more cases of a rare form of meningitis, including enlisting local police to find people who might be infected by tainted steroid injections that have so far killed eight people.

NEW YORK-- Supermarket chains like Safeway and Roundy's could have even more reason to fear Wal-Mart. As of the end of July, Wal-Mart had 10 "Express" stores and had ramped up its "Neighborhood Market" concept to 217 locations, said Citi Investment Research analyst Deborah Weinswig.

PORTLAND, Maine-- Maine has always been proud of the commodities it claims as homegrown, among them Stephen King, L.L. Bean, lobster, and a host of political icons including Edmund Muskie, George Mitchell and Olympia Snowe. Independent Angus King hails from Alexandria, Va., attended Dartmouth College and moved to Maine, where he has settled in Brunswick.

The widening outbreak has alarmed federal and state health officials and focused attention on regulation of pharmaceutical compounding companies like the one that produced the drugs, the New England Compounding Center Inc in Framingham, Massachusetts.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, Oct 8- U.S. health officials on Monday reported an additional 14 cases in a fungal meningitis outbreak linked to steroid injections that has now killed eight people and infected 105 in nine states.

Detailed results were revealed for the first time Monday at an American Neurological Association conference in Boston. "It's certainly not the home run we all wanted, but we're very encouraged by these results," said Maria Carillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Association, which had no role in the research.

Oct 8- Eli Lilly and Co said pooled data from two large studies show patients with mild Alzheimer's disease taking its experimental drug solanezumab had 34- percent less decline in memory over 18 months compared with those taking placebos.

The widening outbreak has alarmed federal and state health officials and focused attention on regulation of pharmaceutical compounding companies like the one that produced the drugs, the New England Compounding Center Inc in Framingham, Massachusetts.

CLERMONT, Ky.-- Bourbon fan Tim Allen started his day of sightseeing by sipping whiskeys crafted at a Jim Beam distillery. Where else are pre-lunch nips more commonplace than in Kentucky bourbon country?

*Romney claws his way back after first debate* Only 2 points behind in Reuters/ Ipsos poll By Steve Holland. PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., Oct 7- Mitt Romney appeared on Sunday to have halted his perilous slide in the polls and is back to running a close race with President Barack Obama as he prepares a new assault on the Democrat over foreign policy.

"They're seeing the writing on the wall and want to say that it's corporate responsibility," said Mike Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which advocates for food safety and nutrition.